Iraqi forces kill senior ISIS leader in coordinated operation in Syria

The Iraqi Counterterrorism Service announced on September 19 that a senior Islamic State (ISIS) commander was killed during a security operation in Syria conducted in coordination with the U.S.-led international coalition.

The commander, Omar Abdul Qader Bassam, also known as "Abdul Rahman Al-Halabi," served as ISIS’s head of external operations and security, the service said, according to Reuters.

According to Iraqi authorities, Bassam was responsible for orchestrating attacks in multiple countries, including the bombing of Iran’s embassy in Lebanon, and had planned other operations in Europe and the United States that were ultimately prevented through intelligence efforts.

The announcement comes amid an ongoing series of U.S. Central Command strikes targeting ISIS figures in Syria. U.S. officials have warned that the group is attempting to regain influence in the country following the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last December.

By Tamilla Hasanova